Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Childhood Friend Yoon Jinhee
“…You really do seem out of your mind lately. Just go home for now.”
“No, I’m seriously—”
“I’ll inform you later once the professors finish discussing punishment related to today’s violence incident. For today, go home early and get some rest.”
Professor Jin Seokhyun chased out the Class 11 failure student who had suddenly declared he belonged in Class 1, wearing a pitying expression.
“That kid really does sound insane when he talks nonsense like that… but there’s no denying his combat ability improved. If it’s not reawakening, then what is it…?”
While lost in thought, Professor Jin suddenly reopened the office door and called out to Kang Jihun, who was already walking away down the hallway.
“Hey! Cadet Kang Jihun! If it’s not reawakening, then why have you changed so suddenly?”
“Ah… that’s thanks to training. So now you’re willing to discuss transferring me to another class—”
“Sorry for calling you back. Hurry up and go rest.”
Bang.
“Training? Someone becomes a completely different person overnight just through training? Is that bastard making fun of me?”
Professor Jin could never know.
He had no way of knowing that during a mere instant, Kang Jihun had spent ten years in the parallel world of the martial realm, crossing countless life-and-death situations while mastering martial arts.
Even after sending Jihun away while fuming resentfully, there was one thought Professor Jin couldn’t shake.
He couldn’t simply promote him straight to Class 1 immediately.
But at the very least, Kang Jihun clearly no longer belonged in Class 11.
Everyone knew Hunter Academy received more than enough national support to remain financially comfortable.
Even so, the academy didn’t operate dormitories for every student.
Only cadets ranked Class 5 or higher earned the privilege of living in the academy dormitories.
Which was why Jihun, the failure student of Class 11, still had to return to his old apartment.
“The support payment is two million won every month, but rent alone eats a lot of it, and living expenses aren’t cheap either… I need to solve the money issue quickly…”
After leaving Professor Jin’s office, Jihun walked through the hallway while pondering ways to make money.
Whoosh—
Something suddenly flew toward him from somewhere.
Jihun casually raised a hand and caught it.
“Ooooh! I just threw it because you looked spaced out! How’d you catch that?!”
Jihun checked the object in his hand.
It was a small handbag.
From far down the hallway, a woman with short bobbed hair and cool-looking sharp eyes came running toward him.
She bounced over energetically before suddenly locking him in a headlock.
Jihun had already recognized who she was the moment he caught the handbag.
Yoon Jinhee.
Even after spending ten years in the parallel world, Jihun recognized his childhood friend instantly, as though he had seen her yesterday.
Jihun had never been someone with many human relationships to begin with.
He barely had anyone he could truly call a friend.
Which made Jinhee, whom he had known since early childhood, impossible to forget.
“Hey punk, I’ve been hearing weird rumors about you lately. Something about killing a boss monster and beating up Class 10 students. You spreading those rumors about yourself or what?”
She tightened the headlock playfully while teasing him.
Naturally, Jihun could’ve dodged the headlock from the beginning.
Even now, he could escape whenever he wanted.
But he was simply happy to see an old friend again after so long and let her do whatever she wanted.
“Ohhh? This brat’s enduring noona’s headlock now? You’ve grown a lot. It hasn’t even been that long since I last saw you… huh? Wait…?”
The strength gradually left Jinhee’s arm as she unconsciously lifted Jihun’s upper body slightly.
“W-What is this? Why are your muscles like this? And your height…?”
She had already felt something strange the moment she jumped to wrap him in a headlock.
And the harder she squeezed, the more she felt his broad and solid shoulder muscles beneath her arm.
Jinhee realized that the childhood friend she’d only gone a few days without seeing had definitely changed somehow.
“Hey, what happened to your body? Did you eat something weird?”
Jinhee kept touching his shoulders, chest, and arms in disbelief until Jihun grabbed both her hands.
Flinch.
His touch felt strangely different from just a few days ago.
“Hahaha! Yoon Jinhee! Jinhee, right? It’s been way too long!”
Jihun greeted her with genuine happiness.
Yoon Jinhee.
One of the very few human relationships from his previous life.
Truthfully, she had never actually been a good person to Jihun.
She was the one who spread rumors about him liking Yujeong.
After Jihun’s parents died and he became financially desperate, she even took advantage of him.
Pretending to share a little of her allowance money, she tossed him scraps while making him run errands and treating him like a servant.
To make things worse, she had long harbored a crush on Changhoon, the boy who constantly bullied Jihun since high school.
Even though she watched Changhoon beat and torment Jihun for absolutely no reason.
To her, Jihun was simply a toy she had played with for years, so none of it mattered much.
Of course, Jihun himself wasn’t unaware of any of this.
Whenever he stayed around Jinhee, he could feel himself shrinking more and more.
He knew she didn’t see him as a friend, but as someone beneath her.
But after his parents died and nobody remained by his side, Jinhee had become his only remaining human connection.
Like a fool, Jihun obeyed her and catered to her moods while desperately hoping she’d continue remaining his friend.
To the mentally exhausted Jihun of his school days, Jinhee—the oldest remaining relationship in his life—had become poison he couldn’t throw away.
“What do you mean ‘long time no see’? We saw each other just a few days ago. More importantly, what’s with your body? Do you work out now? There’s no way someone changes this much in only a few days—”
Jihun grabbed Jinhee’s hands again as she casually tried touching his body once more and pulled them away.
It was the first time Jinhee had ever experienced Jihun stopping her behavior.
“Uh…? What’s your problem? Did you seriously just move my hands away?”
Jinhee’s face twisted instantly.
It was the exact expression Jihun used to fear most.
Whenever he did even the slightest thing against her wishes, she always made that face.
And every time she did, Jihun would immediately bow his head and return to acting like her obedient toy.
She had always known Jihun had nowhere else to go and desperately needed human warmth, and she used that fact freely.
But now—
For the first time in only a few days, Jinhee felt something unfamiliar from him.
“Haha, how can you touch someone however you want? This body already belongs to somebody, you know.”
Jihun teased her lightly with playful eyes.
“What? Belongs to somebody? Says the hopeless forever-single loser! Don’t tell me you mean your crush Seol Yujeong owns you? You think Yujeong would ever accept your feelings? Where’d you suddenly get all this useless confidence—”
“Ahem— you shouldn’t speak so harshly.”
Different.
He wasn’t angry or irritated.
He was smiling and joking around.
Yet the relaxed composure he showed now felt completely different from the Jihun of only a few days ago.
For a moment, Jinhee felt irrational anger rise within her from realizing she could no longer control Jihun however she pleased.
Ever since his parents died, not once had he ever disobeyed her.
No matter how unreasonable her demands became, he always accepted them.
Because she was his entire world.
Because he was her toy.
This arrogant belief that had unknowingly rooted itself inside Jinhee had spent years slowly devouring Jihun’s life.
“Yujeong? Seol Yujeong? Pfft… pffft… hahaha!”
“Hey… what’s so funny? You really do chase after Seol Yujeong nonstop.”
Even after hearing Jinhee’s words, Jihun kept laughing for a while longer before finally calming himself.
“Hahaha sorry… sorry. It’s just too funny. As my old memories slowly come back, everything feels so youthful and amusing. I actually lived a more entertaining life than I thought. Hah.”
Jinhee grew increasingly irritated at Jihun continuing to say incomprehensible things.
Was this weird confidence of his coming from all those recent rumors surrounding him?
Eventually, Jinhee simply couldn’t stand seeing her toy playing around freely without her permission anymore.
“Hey, do you seriously think you’re somebody important now just because weird rumors are spreading lately? You’re being insanely annoying right now. You used to just follow me around like my little servant—”
Whoosh—
An overwhelming presence instantly crushed the surrounding space.
Jinhee struggled to breathe while her legs trembled uncontrollably beneath her.
“What is this…? I’ve never heard of someone being able to dominate a space this instantly…”
Then Jihun slowly approached the trembling Jinhee and lightly pinched her cheek.
“Still can’t speak nicely, huh?”
Judging from the playful look still lingering on his face, it didn’t even seem like he was angry.
Yet Jinhee genuinely felt frozen solid, unable to move at all.
“Uh… uh… s-sorry.”
It was the first time in her life.
Never once while playing around with Jihun had Jinhee ever felt sorry toward him.
Not even jokingly had she ever apologized to him before.
The moment the pressure vanished, the surrounding air suddenly became comfortable again and Jinhee could finally breathe properly.
Smack!
“Kyaah!”
Jihun smacked Jinhee’s butt with his right hand before turning around.
“It was nice seeing you again after so long. I’ll let the way you talk slide… this time. Don’t do it again.”
Even until the very end, Jihun maintained a playful expression and tone.
But for some reason, Jinhee felt fear.
“He just touched my ass…? That lunatic is really Kang Jihun?”